Final Aftermath IX
by The Gifted Ten
Summary: Story takes place immediately after the final battle at the end of the game. Follow Jitan (Zidane) and Kuja as they struggle to survive in Gaia after the events that have happened. As the brothers' relationship deepens, they are faced with an old enemy.
1. Prologue

Final Aftermath (IX)  
  
By: The Gifted Ten  
  
Prologue  
  
There was a blinding light, a deafening explosion. Only two persons  
were there to experience this cataclysmic event. One was thought dead  
by his friends; the other had none-save, perhaps, the one who'd stayed  
behind to comfort him as he lay dying.  
  
However, just before the blast, the elder of the two, the one hovering  
above death, looked into his younger "brother's" eyes and saw all the  
memories, and emotions, and life that filled him, and at that moment,  
he knew that he didn't want his little brother to die. He summoned up  
all the strength and mana reserve he had left in him and began to  
concentrate on teleporting his brother to a safe place-any place-away  
from the aftermath of his own hatred.  
  
He'd almost finished concentrating his power when his brother realized  
what it was he was doing.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"  
  
"I..I'm getting you out of here."  
  
"Not without you, you're not!"  
  
"Jitan..don't argue. I-," he turned his head and began coughing, a  
few drops of blood escaping his lips.  
  
"Kuja-"  
  
There came a rumbling from beneath them. The earth began to shake,  
and they could feel the change in the air around them as matter began  
to condense.  
  
Kuja's eyes shot open and his mind frantically groped around for the  
magic he'd accumulated. There! He had it. Now to just teleport  
Jitan away in time...  
  
His eyes found his little brother's and they locked onto them as he  
began to channel his energy through his little brother. As Jitan's  
body started to waver, Kuja transferred the last bit of energy to the  
spell and shuddered with fatigue. Jitan had just a single moment to  
look into his brother's eyes again before he suddenly grasped Kuja's  
bruised forearm the second before everything stopped-or rather,  
happened..  
  
A/N-I know it's short, but this was written to suck the reader into  
the story (like when you read the back of a book). Other chapters are  
available. Go and read them! Oh, and in case you were wondering why  
Zidane's name changed..well, it didn't. Jitan is his original  
Japanese name; it was later changed to Zidane to sound more "American"  
I guess. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Jitan awoke to the sound of the sea. He tried to open his eyes, but the sun's harsh glare forced him to keep them shut. He breathed in the smell of fresh air and once again tried to open his eyes.  
  
Judging by the sun's position, it was late morning, and his stomach was already reminding him that it hadn't been fed for quite some time; which made him wonder how long he'd been here—wherever here was. That made him think. 'What exactly had happened back at the Ifa tree while he'd been with Kuja?' He blinked. 'Kuja?!'  
  
He sat up with a jolt and rubbed his eyes and frantically scanned the beach for his brother. He didn't have to look far; he saw Kuja's slim form just a couple of yards away from where he sat.  
  
Jitan forced his stiff legs to stand up. He immediately regretted the motion as his head started pounding from the hours he'd lain under the sun on the beach. He stood in place for a moment to clear his head then quickly stumbled over to where Kuja lied.  
  
As Jitan sat next to his brother, his eyes roamed over his bruised and blood-spattered body. He could barely confirm the slight up and down motion of Kuja's chest as it struggled to keep breathing. Jitan continued to sit there watching Kuja; he didn't know what else to do. Should he wake him, and find out if his mind was still intact? Or should he let him rest, giving both mind and body time to recover? There was no doubt that Kuja needed immediate medical attention, but he had no idea where Kuja's spell had transported them, so there was no way of knowing where help was. He needed to find someone that could help, or at least give them directions.  
  
Well, at any rate, he needed to get Kuja out of the sun before the mid-day rays became unbearable. He stood up and wondered if it would be better to drag Kuja or carry him; dragging wouldn't jostle him as much, but carrying him seemed to be the quickest and safest way—therefore the best way. Jitan knelt back down and very carefully scooped up Kuja in his arms and slowly stood up. Kuja managed to moan a little, but didn't wake up, so Jitan began walking towards the looming trees at the edge of the beach. He laid Kuja down, propping him up against the trunk of a tree. He thought about removing Kuja's tattered clothes to check for injuries, but decided against it for the time being; he needed to construct a shelter of some sorts, or find a cave so that Kuja could rest while he looked for help.  
  
Before leaving in search of a shelter, Jitan ripped off a piece of his clothing and placed it in his brother's lifeless hand to assure him it was safe in case he woke up before Jitan got back. After one more glance at Kuja's sleeping form, Jitan began looking for some shelter—or help, if it came his way.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Kuja's mind was trapped. He'd completely exhausted every drop of energy and magic he had. And now...now he wondered if he was dead or alive. Perhaps he was neither, but just drifting in limbo—that peculiar place between Heaven and Hades. Did that mean he was a ghost? A wondering spirit that has no home to go to and travels in search of a meaning for eternity? Surely not, he'd had a purpose in life, and it was to be remembered. He did not want to leave this world without leaving his mark, but....he'd done that, hadn't he? All of the lives he'd destroyed and touched; surely that was quite a mark to behold. 'But was it enough,' he thought.  
  
All these thoughts and memories tugged and pulled at his mind, threatening to tear down his inner barriers and leave him empty and confused. He decided to concentrate on the now. What had happened to him? He decided to take a mental check of his inner self.  
  
Kuja floated up from his core and checked his memories. They were all there, the good and the bad—though they got a little fuzzy around the edges when he tried to recollect what had happened after his defeat in the Ifa tree. He shrugged and went on up to his abilities. They were intact, too—Garland had made sure of that. He grimaced at the thought of his old master and continued checking for anything amiss. Next were his spells and mana reservoirs. They were completely gone. Kuja was temporarily taken aback. 'What happened to my magic?' He'd expected his reservoirs to be used up, so that was no surprise, but where had the abilities to perform the spells gone? He frantically raked his brain for the knowledge to cast his magics, but they were nowhere to be found. He started to panic. Magic was all he knew; what was he supposed to do if he couldn't cast magic? He shuddered at the thought.  
  
He'd almost given up searching for his lost spells when he caught a feint glimmer of something in the back of his mind. He floated over to it and gently brushed against it. It was white magic. It'd been so long since he'd used it, he almost didn't recognize it. 'Heh. So it came to this....' he thought bitterly. 'Now I'm not even a worthy opponent for one of those worthless puppet mages.' He despised the thought of only being able to cast white magic, but it was still magic; and at least he could still call himself a mage.  
  
Now that Kuja had an idea of where he stood in his inner-self, it was time to see what had become of his physical-self. He slowly began ascending up from his self towards the surface of his mind, where his inner-self joined with the outer shell that was his body. As he neared the edge that divided the two, he started to feel himself getting heavy. He was becoming solid, and every single limb felt like lead-weight that would take a miracle to lift. As he gained feeling, his mind was overloaded with his body's cries of pain from head-to-toe. It was almost unbearable; he wanted to spiral back down to his core where it was safe and numb. 'No', he hissed. 'I'm no coward; I can take this.' He reached for the surface, 'I will overcome my pain.' 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Kuja opened his eyes. He couldn't see out of his right eye and at first thought it blind, but then realized it was just a beam of sunlight coming through the leaves. He turned his head away from the harsh glare and saw the sea. It always brought an inner peace inside him to watch the endless movement of water, but now was no time to relax.  
  
Kuja braced himself for the wave of pain and tried to move. He gasped. His limbs felt like knives, and his wounds threatened to open their newly formed scabs. 'Well,' he thought, 'at least I know I'm not paralyzed.' When the waves of pain finally died down to a tolerable level, Kuja looked around to get his surroundings.  
  
In addition to the never-ending sea, all Kuja could see was a dense growth of tropical trees and ferns—oh, and sand...plenty of sand. He felt so vulnerable just lying there for anyone to spot him, but he didn't feel like experiencing another symphony of pain. There was nothing to do but lie still on the forest floor and wait. 'Wait for what?,' he thought. It didn't appear to him that this place was often frequented, but even if someone were to come along and find him, it wasn't likely they'd take kindly to him once they found out who he was. 'Wonderful. I'm to just lie here helplessly and wait for help that I cannot afford in a place that's probably completely void of people in the first place.' Kuja sighed and closed his eyes. As he tried to relax he felt something in his right hand. Curious, he turned his head and looked down at his hand.  
  
He uncurled his fingers and saw a piece of ripped cloth. He almost disregarded it when it hit him that it had obviously been placed there for him to find. He reached out with his mind and touched it cautiously. The astral scent he picked up from it was fresh and very familiar, and soon he had a face matched with the scent: 'Jitan?! But where--?' He tried to sit up, but was quickly reminded that such an action had painful consequences, so he leaned back and stared at the cloth. 'This must mean that he's here! He must have left this here knowing that I would wake up and see it, but.... where had he gone?' Kuja turned his head in all directions, but lying on the ground didn't exactly give him the best viewpoint, but there was nothing else he could do without being doubled over in pain. So he decided to wait.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jitan had been walking for at least an hour in the forest with nothing to show but his growing tiredness and frustration. 'Where in the world are we that there's no sign of people or animals to speak of?' Oh, there were birds of course, and other little vermin, but no large beasts could be found. 'We must be on an island that's too small to support large animals,' he thought. At least, that was the only explanation that came to mind.  
  
Jitan continued walking for a few more minutes and caught the smell of fresh water. He followed his nose until he came upon a small stream of water not but a couple yards away. It was fairly small; only a couple hand's width wide, and the clear water was so welcoming that he drank several handfuls of it before his thirst was quenched. Jitan walked the length of the stream hoping to find it's source, and after a few minutes he was standing in front of a good-sized cave. Jitan couldn't believe his good fortune, and he ran up to the entrance and looked around.  
  
The mouth of the cave was spacious enough for several people and dry enough to build a small fire. Jitan peered into the dark, looming throat of the cave wondering how far it went, but he reminded himself that his brother was still lying under the tree, and now that he'd found a shelter it was time to go back. Jitan gave the cave one final look around before he stepped outside and began running back to the spot where he'd left Kuja.  
  
'I hope he hasn't woken up yet,' Jitan thought as he ran through the brush, 'he will be in so much pain. I don't want him to be alone anymore.' As he started to run, he looked up to the sky to check the sun's position. 'Damn. I've been gone for too long'. He began running faster, and after what seemed forever, he finally reached the spot where he'd left Kuja.  
  
Jitan dropped down next to him and put his hand on Kuja's chest to feel his breathing. As Jitan watched his hand move up and down in a rhythmic fashion, he sighed with relief and closed his eyes a moment to catch his breath from running. Something touched his hand. Jitan's eyes shot open and he saw Kuja's hand resting on top of his. He turned to face his older brother and saw Kuja straining to say something. Jitan leaned closer to Kuja and could barely make out the whisper:  
  
"I'm glad you came back."  
  
"Me, too." Jitan smiled. He wanted to hug him so badly, but he knew it would only cause him pain. So instead, he took Kuja's hand in his and told him gently, "We need to get you out of the sun and the elements. I've found a cave not too far from here, but since I'm going to be carrying you, it'll probably take the remainder of the day before we reach it." Jitan squeezed Kuja's hand, "Are you going to be able to make it there, big brother?" Kuja took a deep breath and nodded his head.  
  
Jitan looked up at the sun; it was late afternoon. "We'd better get going," he told his brother. He saw Kuja brace himself for the pain, closing his eyes tightly. Jitan very carefully scooped up Kuja in his arms and slowly stood up, watching his brother's face twist in agony all the while. 'I'm sorry,' he thought. Jitan took the first couple steps and asked Kuja if he wanted to try again later, his only response being a slight shake of the head. So Jitan continued walking as carefully as he could; taking the smoothest paths and walking around fallen trees instead of simply hopping over them.  
  
After a while of walking, Jitan could smell the stream again, and picked up his pace just a little. Kuja still hadn't opened his eyes, but his forehead was coated in little beads of sweat as he silently coped with the pain of being moved and jostled around. "Just a little bit further," he informed him. Kuja didn't respond, but he knew his brother had heard him.  
  
Jitan finally came upon the stream and paused for a minute to catch his breath. The sun was beginning to set; they had only a few minutes left of light. Jitan took one last deep breath and started walking up alongside the stream. Although it took longer than expected, they reached the entrance to the cave just as the sun disappeared under the horizon.  
  
Jitan lay Kuja down on the smooth cave floor and did his best to make sure he was comfortable before he stood up and stretched his muscles. He walked to the other side of the cave where the stream was and drank a few handfuls of the cool water. When he'd had his fill, he took out his handkerchief and soaked it through before walking over to his older brother. Kuja was nearly asleep, and Jitan had to coax his mouth open to squeeze the drops of water into it. He did this three times before he finally gave up, since Kuja had eventually fallen asleep and wouldn't respond to him.  
  
Jitan sighed and stretched out beside his brother. The cave was pretty dark now, and the only light came from the moon outside. Jitan wondered where his friends were now. He wondered if they'd gotten away in time. He wondered many things that night, and when his eyelids became too heavy to keep open, Jitan found Kuja's right hand and held it in his own before he himself drifted off to sleep. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
It was midmorning when Jitan awoke, and the slight chill in the cave was already being replaced by the sun's warmth. With an earnest yawn, Jitan rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his right hand and noticed that his left hand was still intertwined with Kuja's. He turned his head and looked at his older brother who was still fast asleep. 'He looks so peaceful.' With an effort to not wake his brother, Jitan care-fully retrieved his hand from Kuja's and silently got to his feet. After stretching his sore muscles he walked over to the cave's entrance and looked out upon the island as it discarded it's moonlit cloak of shadows and stars, and adorned itself with a cape of clouds and sun.  
  
Jitan closed his eyes and breathed in the sweet perfume of flowers mixed with a crisp, morning breeze and, for just a moment, forgot about all his problems. He sighed heavily and walked down to the stream to a spot where it was slightly wider and deeper. Kneeling down, he cupped his hands in the stream and splashed his face with the cool water. As he was about to dry himself off with his shirt, one sniff of the bloody, sea-crusted, dirty clothes made him turn his nose elsewhere. He quickly rid himself of his shirt and tugged at his stiff boots—almost falling over in the process—until they begrudgingly released his feet. As he peeled his socks off, he thought, 'Ugh...I bet Kuja's clothes are just as soiled as mine are, (and that can't be good with all his wounds—I just hope they're not infected already).'  
  
Jitan walked back to the cave, dropping his clothes near the entrance. Kuja had barely moved; the only change was that his head faced the opposite direction. Jitan sighed and walked over to him and wondered which was the best way to wake him.  
  
"Kuja."  
  
No response.  
  
"Hey, big bro, wake up," he said as knelt down and slightly squeezed his shoulders.  
  
"Mmm." Kuja moved his head slowly to face him and opened his eyes...  
  
* * * *  
  
Everything was a wash of dull colors, like a painting that had been left out in the rain. Kuja blinked and tried to focus on his brother's face.  
  
"Kuja, are you awake?"  
  
The colors were back to normal now, but he was still seeing double as he watched Jitan's mouth move with words he couldn't understand. Kuja strained to hear his brother, but his senses seemed to be in suspended animation and all that reached him were muffled pitches of Jitan's soft tenor voice. Kuja closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to convey that he couldn't understand what was being said to him.  
  
"What's the matter? Can you not hear me?"  
  
Kuja just continued to shake his head, hoping his brother would understand. After a second or two, the puzzled look on Jitan's face slowly gave way to one of understanding.  
  
"Oh."  
  
Kuja sighed and closed his eyes, but immediately he felt an upsetting churn in his stomach and his eyes shot open as he fought to keep his gorge down. Not caring about the pain it would cause, he jerked his hand up to his mouth.  
  
"Kuja?! What is it? What's wrong?!"  
  
Gagging, he rolled to the side and thoroughly retched himself sick. Since there had been nothing in his stomach but seawater, it hurt him even more for his stomach to wrench itself dry. After coughing his body into a glove of needles, he lay back on the stone bed and closed his eyes, his breath ragged. Gradually, he felt himself relax when Jitan scooted closer and cradled his head in his lap. With the combination of exhaustion and Jitan's soothing words as he stroked his head, Kuja drifted off to sleep.  
  
* * * *  
  
Even after sitting there for half an hour holding Kuja's sleeping form, Jitan still couldn't bring himself to get up. It was only when the temperature in the cave reached its peak from the mid-day sun that he couldn't stand it anymore.  
  
Slowly and carefully, he brought Kuja into a sitting position and pulled up his own legs to brace him as he stood up. Kuja stirred, but he didn't appear to have woken up. The humidity and lack of wind in the cave cheered him on as he picked up his brother and trudged out of the cave to the stream.  
  
The sun was at it's highest in the sky, glaring down upon anything that wasn't submerged in foliage. Jitan squinted his eyes and found a shaded spot near the stream where he could lay Kuja. Careful not to jostle him as he stepped over the stream, Jitan kneeled and spread his brother out over the trampled grass. As he was backing away, his eyes found those of his brother's and saw that they were open and staring straight at him with a wondering look. He was a little startled, but he quickly composed himself and tried earnestly to explain to Kuja that he had to get him out of his soiled clothes and clean his wounds. Kuja didn't seem to be listening to his words, but as his eyes followed Jitan's hands and body language, he nodded that he understood.  
  
"Alright then, I'll try to make this as quick and painless as I can," Jitan said as he began un-latching Kuja's knee-high boots. "All you have to do is lie there and relax," he said with a grin. After the boots were off, Jitan was able to confirm a few bruises here and there, but nothing serious.  
  
Next came the grueling task of removing the Kuja's battered armor. He had no clue as to how it came off and struggled to separate the outer lavender "jacket" when Kuja reached up and stilled his hands. Reaching inside the jacket, Kuja ran his hand along the top of the metal belt that crossed his chest and unlatched some sort of lock. Immediately, the outer jacket sagged and Jitan was able to slip it off easily.  
  
"Man, that thing was heavy," Jitan said as he laid it aside, "how in the world did you wear it without falling over?" 'He must've put a spell on it of some sort to make it lighter,' he concluded.  
  
Now that the outer jacket was off, Kuja's shining mythril scales glinted in the sun, though with a red tint at the places where magics and weapons had broke through. Jitan felt rather sorry that he'd fought him back at the Ifa Tree; and knowing that he was the strongest of the party, most of them had been his doing. He wanted to tell him he was sorry, but he'd done what needed to be done. After all, Kuja had been pretty intent on destroying the world of Gaia like he did with their birth-planet, Terra. He blinked and was pulled back into the present.  
  
"Sorry; zoned out for a sec," he said as he continued with the task of removing Kuja's banged up armor. He looked all over the mythril-scaled covering for a latch or clasp of some kind, but he found none. Kuja, it seemed, had fallen asleep during his flashback and wasn't aware of the predicament. When Jitan nudged him gently, he woke with a little start—apparently not having realized he'd fallen asleep. He looked about and saw his brother motioning to the armor. Smiling a little, Kuja raised his arm in the air and snapped his fingers together. Suddenly, whatever magic had been holding the armor together was broken, and mythril scales trickled down Kuja's arms and chest, falling to the ground like coins from treasure chest.  
  
"Whoa! That was amazing! How did you do that?" Jitan picked up one of the scales, admiring its radiance. "May I have this one?"  
  
Kuja blinked slowly and nodded.  
  
"Thanks." He slipped it into his pocket. "Well, I guess it's time we get you in the stream, ne?"  
  
His answer was a puzzled look. Obviously, Kuja hadn't gotten the gist of his statement. 'Well, he'll find out real quick, now won't he'? Jitan smiled. Kuja's expression only deepened upon seeing this. Placing his hands behind his brother's legs and back, Jitan scooped him up and stepped into the deeper water of the stream. Kuja's eyes widened as he came to realize what was going on.  
  
"Brace yourself."  
  
Jitan dropped to his knees and lowered his brother chest-deep into the water...  
  
* * * *  
  
Kuja gasped as the cool water flooded every nerve and sensation and practically numbed his body until all he felt were the stream's currents as they flowed over him like a cool sigh. Eventually, he relaxed as the waters became a constant comfort, and he sighed with pleasure.  
  
"Well, now that you're comfortable, let's get down to business."  
  
'Business?'  
  
Jitan removed his hand from under his legs and reached into his pocket, pulling out a handkerchief. After dipping it in the water he proceeded to gently wash away the dust and grit from Kuja's wounds. Thankfully, his scabs were old enough that they didn't tear when the kerchief was brought over them. Jitan's soft but strong touch was very soothing as he worked his way from his head to his feet, and he was soon utterly relaxed.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jitan paused in his rhythmic cleaning to spy Kuja with a look of pleasure about him. He smiled and con-tinued cleaning the wounds until he was thoroughly pleased with the results. Putting the handkerchief back in his pocket, he placed his hand under Kuja's legs again and stood up. Kuja opened his eyes with a look of disappointment, but quickly replaced it with a faint smile as he leaned his head against Jitan's chest.  
  
Jitan didn't want to return to the humid cave, but he also didn't want to set his wet brother on the sandy ground only to get dirty again. He scanned the clearing and spotted a fairly large rock near the cave's entrance that was now shaded. He walked over to it and somehow managed to scramble onto it while still carrying Kuja in his arms. Laying him full- length over the rock, Jitan sighed heavily and spread out next to him. The rock was pretty smooth, and with his muscles aching from holding Kuja—and washing him at the same time for half and hour—Jitan quickly found himself falling asleep to the sound of the soft breeze as it swept through the trees. 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
It was dark. Jitan started to open his eyes, but he realized that they already were. He tried to look about him, but everything was pitch-black. He began to wonder what was going on, and then a voice:  
  
'So nice to see you again, Jitan.'  
  
"I know this voice." He turned around, trying to find its source.  
  
'Yes, I should hope that you would recognize the voice of your maker.'  
  
"Garland?! But...but you died! Back on Terra!"  
  
'Oh, did I? Yes, well I suppose I did die back on that ledge; but surely you didn't think that wreck of a body was the only thing connecting me to the world of the living, did you?'  
  
"Then what the hell is?!"  
  
There was a faint red glow in the dark, coming slowly towards him. Then an outline began to frame the pulsing red light. The shadowy figure was soon only a couple of meters away, and now the outline was definitely that of a man.  
  
"You."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes. You and your brother are what keep my soul anchored in this...purgatory."  
  
"Then, you cannot exist outside our subconscious; you are weak. I'll—"  
  
Garland was suddenly in front of him, and he gasped as Garland's arm shot out like a snake and gripped his throat in a vise. Jitan struggled to free himself, but the grip around his neck only tightened.  
  
"Do not ever think that you, a mere creation, a defective puppet, could ever measure up to me!"  
  
"Don't," he coughed, "Don't be so sure. Ku-Kuja destroyed much of you, leaving you weak and—"  
  
Garland gave his neck one last squeeze before he threw him to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath.  
  
"Kuja..." He seemed to reflect on the name. "Kuja was my first genome experiment. Unlike you and the other genomes—who were only given a soul after their body's completion—I gave Kuja a soul from the very beginning. He conscious was awake during the whole process of his creation; he heard and saw all that happened around him. He knew everything about me and my original plan to absorb Gaia into Terra." He stopped. Turning back around to face him, his face held an expression of mild interest. "Would you like to see?"  
  
"See what?"  
  
"Your brother's past."  
  
"How do I know you won't just lie and make stuff up?"  
  
"You have my word."  
  
"Ha! That's about as useful as dropping a grain of sand in the desert."  
  
"Do not mock me, Jitan! Never forget that I made you; that I created you from nothing!"  
  
"Blah, blah, blah...We've heard that story before. Tell me something I don't know."  
  
"If you do not control your tongue, I'll—"  
  
"You'll what?"  
  
Garland gave him a look that could have made a stone bleed.  
  
"Alright, alright, let's get this over with. (The sooner we finish, the sooner I can wake up).  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Nothing. Look, can we just get star—"  
  
Jitan was suddenly standing in what looked to be a lab of some sort. Looking around, he recognized it as being the very same lab that he had been in while on Terra when he'd confronted the other genomes. Looking more closely, he observed that it was a little different than what he remembered, but before he could investigate further, he heard footpsteps outside the door followed by a shadow that framed the doorway. Unsure what to do, he ducked behind some equipment just as the shadow entered the room.  
  
It was Garland, though he looked a bit different; younger. Jitan watched as he walked over to a machine and began accessing charts and what looked to be medical data. Every now and then he spied Garland look up from the charts towards a rather large tube attached to the wall. It was filled with a bluish substance that appeared to glow with an inner light. Jitan recalled similar tubes from his previous visit; they were used to grow genomes.  
  
From his current position, Jitan could hardly see a thing. Wanting to get a better view of the tube, he slowly crouched below a counter and crawled closer. He peeked around a corner to see if Garland was still going over the data only to find that he was face-to-face with a rather large knee.  
  
"Uhp!" he whipped his head back around. 'I hope he didn't see me.'  
  
'Of course I didn't see you, you nit wit.'  
  
"Huh?" Jitan managed another peek at Garland who was still standing on the opposite side of the desk plugging in some data on a screen.  
  
'You dolt! Stand up. There's no need for you to hide behind that desk. I told you I was going to show you your brother's past. What you see now took place over twenty-two years ago. You cannot affect this world in any way; it is just an image, and you are merely an observer.'  
  
"Well, you could have said something earlier!" Jitan grumbled as he stood up and pretended to brush dust off his pants. "(Making me crawl around on the floor...)"  
  
'I thought you would have figured it out by then!'  
  
"Are you gonna keep butting in, or can I watch the show?"  
  
'Jitan, mind yourself!'  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Bug off!"  
  
After hearing a rather rude sound followed by a string of curses, Jitan felt that he was alone again. And just to make sure that he really couldn't affect anything, he tried to pick up an instrument that was lying on a table, but his hand went right through it. He then walked right up to Garland and made a rude gesture that, under real circumstances, would've landed him a fist in head. Nothing. Satisfied, he walked over to the screen Garland was currently occupying and looked at the data being displayed. Apparently, it was receiving data from one of the machines and spewing out recorded data that was categorized in different sub units, (brainwaves, heart rate, and other vital signs).  
  
Jitan was beginning to wonder what all this had to do with Kuja, and then Garland looked away from the screen with a content look on his face as he turned around and walked over to the glowing tube.  
  
"Well, well. It looks as though you're coming along nicely, Kuja. Your readouts are perfect. Soon you'll be in your next stage of development, and I will be that much closer to fulfilling my goal."  
  
Colors blended and faded into each other and Jitan found himself back in the lab, but some time had passed—perhaps a month or two—and he saw Garland standing in front of the tube again with an electronic chart as he made annotations and reviewed more data. Jitan looked past him at the tube and he could see the form of a baby in fetal position floating in the middle of the tank. He walked up to it and peered through the glass at the infant, who already had a head-full of light, wispy hair hovering around its head. "Aww. He looked so cute as a baby." He reached up to tap on the glass, but remembered in mid-motion that he couldn't touch anything, so he reached up and pretended to scratch his head—just in case Garland was still watching him.  
  
'Hahahaha. You don't fool me for one second, Jitan. Come; let's skip ahead a little, shall we?'  
  
Jitan rolled his eyes and focused on the wall while Garland enjoyed yet another of his follies. It didn't last for long, however, as once more the image in front of him absorbed into itself and then reformed again, revealing the past.  
  
He was now standing in a different room, but lab equipment was still present along the walls and spread across the few tables that were placed around the room. He turned at the sound of footsteps and watched as Garland entered, followed by a small child that looked to be about five or six. "Kuja?" They crossed the room over to some instruments and Jitan watched as Garland placed some patches that were attached to wires onto the child's temples. The wires were linked to a key pad—which Garland was now holding. After a few seconds, the machine beeped and a light blinked somewhere on it. Still reading from the pad, Garland looked up.  
  
"Very good, Kuja. Once again your scores are perfect; however, you could improve on your concentration during spell casting. I almost thought you were incapable of destroying that third level beast when you used Fire against it." He removed the patches. "I want you to have fully mastered Fire in time for tomorrow's exercise." He turned towards the door, "Don't disappoint me again."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
After Garland had left the room, Kuja stood there for a few minutes. Jitan couldn't tell what he was thinking until Kuja clenched his fists and mumbled, "I will not disappoint Master Garland again." And with that, he walked over to a door Jitan hadn't noticed before and pressed his hand on a pad attached to the doorframe. The red light on the door changed to blue and the door quietly slid open. Kuja walked on through and Jitan quickly followed, passing through the door as if it wasn't there.  
  
Kuja stood in the room's center, his arms slightly spread apart.  
  
"Begin practice: Level One, Fire."  
  
Jitan could hear the soft hum of machines working somewhere on the other side of the wall. He turned in circle trying to get some sort of clue about what was happening, but the smooth walls' metallic surface gave no indication.  
  
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a small ball of orange flame billowed out towards Kuja. "Hey! Watch out!" But Kuja merely stood there and calmly raised a hand to the approaching fire, and it abruptly stopped a few feet away. Jitan watched as the child slowly closed his hand and put out the flame without ever having touched it. Jitan gaped at the child for being able to manipulate the black magic at such a young age. He watched as the boy merely stared ahead and continued.  
  
"Begin second phase: Level Two, Fira."  
  
This time, two balls of fire, slightly bigger than the first one had been, came hurdling towards them from nowhere. Kuja raised a hand to each of the flames and, with what looked to be little effort, caused the balls of magic to perform an intricate dance of yellow and orange and red flame. Jitan looked on as signs of stress could be seen darting across the child's features, and the heated dance that was taking place above them was brought to an end as Kuja quickly clasped his hands together, and the balls of flame hurdled towards each other and collided in a burst of dazzling sparks. Though, not a minute passed by before the child-like Kuja straightened and spoke:  
  
"Begin third phase: Level Three, Firaga."  
  
There was a change in the machines' hum from where Jitan was standing and suddenly what looked to be a small red comet came spiraling down from the ceiling, and even though he knew Kuja couldn't hear him, Jitan shouted out to him, "RUN!" but the child only stood there as the space between him and the huge, fiery orb rapidly diminished. When the spherical flame was only two meters above him, however, it seemed to hit a barrier of some sort and there was a deafening blast as the black magic struck the shield and crackled against Kuja's protective spell, trying to break through.  
  
Kuja hadn't moved from his spot in the room's center, but his arms were now held up in a defensive position above his head, his muscles tense. The pulsing globe above his head continued to smolder threateningly and Jitan could see it inch ever so closer with each passing minute; the shield wouldn't last. Sweat trickled down Kuja's face as he struggled to control Firaga and maintain his barrier at the same time. The minutes passed and the huge fireball was now only a meter above them; Jitan could almost feel the heat on his skin as the room was now filled with a crimson light that merely grew in intensity. 'It's too powerful for him,' he thought, 'He's only just a kid.' He stared ahead as Kuja's small form looked so hopeless in comparison to the monstrous, blazing sphere of fire that hovered not but a couple feet above him. 'It's futile, Kuja,' Jitan thought at the child who was almost to his knees under the stress, 'Why don't you call it off?!' But then he heard:  
  
"I will...not...disappoint...M-Master Garland again.." And then Jitan saw as Kuja broke the link with his shield and concentrated his magic only on the fire that now reigned down upon him as he tried to break it up into smaller pieces. The plan seemed to be working and Jitan felt relieved until he turned his head and saw Garland standing on the opposite side of the entrance door, a scowl upon his face. At first he didn't understand when the corners of the old man's mouth raised in a sadistic smirk, but when he heard Kuja's cry of dismay and turned around, he realized all too well.  
  
The fireball was now double its original size, and Kuja, now on his knees screaming at the computers behind the wall to shut off the inferno, was draining his mana reserves to hold up a Protect shield around himself. He was so frightened that he wasn't fully concentrating on the spell, and it became apparent when tiny pieces of burning rock slipped past the barrier and singed his skin and clothes. He cried out for someone to help him, to make the fire go away, but no one could hear him—save Jitan and the monster that watched from the outside. 'Garland, you bastard,' he seethed under his breath. He turned away, not wanting to witness what would happen when Kuja's Protect finally gave way...  
  
It didn't take long, however, and the room was soon filled with the sound fire and a child screaming in agony over and over..... Jitan covered his ears and shouted for it to stop, but all he could hear were the screams—again and again—echoed by cruel, hollow laughter.  
  
**~~***~~**~~***~~**~~***~~**~~***~~**~~***~~**~~***~~**~~***~~**~~***~~**~~ ***  
  
A/N: sooooooo.....was it worth the wait? (again, sorry i took so long) but what d'ya think? R&R!!! 


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"NOOO! Stop it! Stop hurting him!" He was on the ground now, clutching his head between his knees, trying to block out the screams and laughter that rang through his mind. But the sounds never ceased, and now images were trying to force their way into his eyes; images that were cruel and frightful; images that he never wanted to see….And it didn't stop. And when the tears welled up and he started to cry, it only seemed to fuel the nightmare. "..please….just stop it.." he sobbed, "..I don't want to see anymore…"

"..Jitan…"

"Leave me alone…" He tried to ignore the voice, thinking it was only one of Garland's tricks, but it persisted.

"Jitan."

Something touched him. He shrank away at first, but the touch was soft and hesitant, and it didn't seem to want to hurt him. And when it came again, he reached out for it. His eyes opened to a clear blue sky. A seagull cried out somewhere nearby and he turned his head in the direction.

"Jitan…"

'…_are you alright?'_ The thought finished inside his head and he was confused at first. He followed the voice that had spoken his name found himself looking at his older brother next to him. "What?"

Kuja gave him a strained look, 'You have been dreaming for quite some time; I was beginning to worry.'

"I, uh..." He glanced at the sun—which was now waning towards the west, and he also noticed that Kuja's long silken hair was completely dry. "How long was I out?"

'I don't know. I awoke when you began to talk in your sleep….you seemed to be having a nightmare.'

He tried to block out the images that resurfaced in his mind, "Yeah…I was." He didn't want to think about it, "Hey, what's with the telepathic voice now? You could have done that earlier, you know; made things easier."

Kuja looked at him significantly, 'Talking this way requires concentration, dear brother; you are just trying to change the subject.'

"So what if I am?" he said jeeringly, though his eyes showed that he was quite serious about not wanting to discuss the matter. "I don't wanna talk about it, ok?"

His eyes softened, 'As you wish.'

Jitan sat up and looked his brother over. "You feeling better?"

'Yes,' he tried to sit up, 'but this boulder isn't very comfortable.'

Looking for ways to take his mind off the past, Jitan slid off the rock and carefully helped Kuja get down, though he still had to carry him, as his wounds were very much capable of reopening if jostled. He set him down beneath a large tree with smooth bark and stood to the side, shading his eyes as he looked up into the sky feathered with palm tree fronds that always seemed to be out of reach. He spotted some coconuts in a nearby tree and was suddenly reminded of his dry throat. He looked over at Kuja who was silently regarding him, "Hey, you want something to drink?"

His brother followed his gaze to the tree and commented, 'You plan to climb to the top of that?'

Jitan turned back around and grinned, "Yup. You're hungry, too, aren't you?"

'Well, maybe a little…' he confessed, 'but it's not worth you falling and breaking your neck over.'

"Aw, don't worry so much," he said walking towards the tree. "Besides," he spit into his hands and rubbed them together for dramatic effect, "They don't call me a monkey for nothin'!" Then he pushed off the ground and jumped as high as he could before grabbing onto the coconut tree's rough trunk, quickly scaling the tree's height in a matter of no time. Kuja watched from below as Jitan quickly reached the coconuts and reached into his back pocket to pull out a small knife. Carefully balancing himself, he began to saw away at the nut's nonexistent stem until it finally gave way, letting the fruit fall to the forest floor with a loud thud. "Order up!" he called out to Kuja from his perch.

Kuja reached over to his left and grabbed the fallen fruit, pulling it in his lap. He looked up and watched as Jitan released his hold on the tree and fell like a rock to the ground beside him.

"So," Jitan said as he rubbed the palms of his hands on his breeches, "How do you like your coconut, Sir? Cooked, boiled, fried...?"

Kuja looked glanced at him sideways, cocking an eyebrow.

"Ha, ha. Don't be so uptight; it was a joke." He gently punched his shoulder.

Kuja winced slightly and handed his brother the fruit.

"Oy," Jitan said as he accepted it and pulled out his knife. "You are absolutely no fun, Kuja," he said while cutting into the nut's outer covering.

'And you are positively odd,' retorted the mage.

Jitan paused momentarily from peeling back the rind, "Why, Kuja," he said with a dramatic tone, "How, in Terra's name, could you say that I—the coolest, most daring and handsome guy ever to have been created—is odd?" He'd finished removing the coconut's outer layer and was now using his knife to scratch something on the shell's surface. After a couple minutes, he looked to be done, but he turned around and plucked two blue-colored berries from a bush behind him and proceeded to mash them into the side of the coconut. "There!" He turned the nut around and presented it to his older brother.

The coconut, having been removed of its green outer peel, now looked somewhat bald—save for the tiny white hairs that covered its surface. The vigorous scratching of Jitan's knife had produced a haphazard face of sorts: mouth, nose, and eyes (which were stained blue with berry juice).

Kuja regarded the little fruit face with a look that changed from surprise, to amazement, to curiosity, and, (upon realizing who it was supposed to be), bewilderment. His jaw dropped.

"You're speechless; pretty awesome, I know," Jitan said as he turned it around again, admiring his handiwork. He paused suddenly and scrunched up his nose, mumbling about something being missing. "Oops. I guess I zoned out again. Here, you're probably needing this more than I am," he said as he used his knife to screw a hole in the top through one of the coconut's three 'eyes.' "You drink all that you can and I'll have what you don't finish." He handed Kuja the fruit and watched as more than half the contents of the hairy sphere were downed in less than a minute. "Woah, onii-san, leave some for me!" he teased.

But Kuja stopped in mid-swallow and timidly handed back the coconut as he fumbled out the word "Sorry."

Jitan blinked in surprise and waved his hands from side to side, "No, no, no! I was just kidding! No, here. You finish it, I'm fine. I can get another one."

'Are you sure?'

"Absolutely. Drink up—I'll get another one later," he gave him his best saru grin.

Kuja reluctantly withdrew the nut and drank a few more gulps before sighing contently and setting the empty fruit aside as he rested his head back against the tree. 'The sky is beginning to look rather ominous.'

"Hmm?" Jitan followed Kuja's gaze and saw the dark clouds looming in the distance. "Do you think it'll come our way?"

'I believe so..' responded the mage as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, smelling the air. His face became hard, 'The storm is accumulating more power, I can sense it… By nightfall, it will have reached our island.' He turned and looked at his younger brother, his eyes shining like cut glass, 'Jitan I have a bad feeling about this...I feel there is something evil behind the storm.'

"Evil..?" Jitan rose and looked up at the sky, squinting his eyes so that he could see more clearly. He looked back down at Kuja whose face was still hardened with concentration, "How can a storm be evil?"

He didn't answer him; there were too many things going through his mind. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he felt a hand on his arm. He blinked. Jitan had knelt beside him and was looking straight into his blue eyes. His heart skipped a beat. 'What?'

"I said…that we should be getting back to the cave."

He was still staring at him. Kuja held his breath.

"Kuja?"

'..Yes?'

"Let's go," he pulled Kuja's arm forward so that his back was clear of the tree before hoisting him to his feet by his shoulders, "I'll carry you back."

Kuja merely nodded and let his brother bear his weight, his feet dragging the ground as they made their way back to the safety of the cave.

By the time they reached the mouth of the cavern, the dark clouds were nearing the edge of the island. Jitan eased Kuja down on the cave floor and sat down next to him with a sigh. 'Tired?' the eldest inquired.

The blond opened a solitary eye and made a quirky face. "You may _look_ feminine, but I know for a fact that you weigh just as much as any guy."

Kuja made a cross between a glare and a pout. 'Well would you rather I was any different? Perhaps thickset and dumpy like your brain-challenged Captain of the Knights of Pluto?'

"Rusty?" He laughed out loud. "Nah. I like you just he way you are, Kuja." He went back to leaning against the cave wall, eyes closed with a small grin playing upon his lips.

He blinked in surprise. _Did he…Did he just say that he likes me, in a way?_ Kuja turned his head and looked at his brother wonderingly. _I always figured he hated me for what I've done. Maybe he just meant_—Jitan's weight was suddenly pressing upon his right side and Kuja noticed the monkey's steady breathing as his head drooped and slowly came to rest on his shoulder. _I guess he's pretty worn out_, he concluded as he felt Jitan's body relax against him.

Minutes passed by and soon the storm reached their island. The wind picked up and made a soft howl as it came in contact with the cave's entrance. Kuja couldn't help but snuggle closer to Jitan for warmth, as his under garments did nothing to keep out the chill that now filled the cave. A steady rain began to fall, and in the distance, Kuja could hear thunder. He nestled closer to his brother who never seemed to be cold; _Jeez, he's like an oven_, he thought to himself as he began to take his share of body heat.

He lay there huddled in his brother's warmth and was starting to drift to sleep when suddenly the insides of his eyes flashed white and then an earsplitting 'crack' of thunder as it ripped the air and echoed slowly into nothingness. After Kuja managed to get his heart back to a normal pace, he opened his eyes to find Jitan's tail wrapped in a death-grip around his own, and his hands balled into fists that were drawn tightly to his chest. Kuja opened his arms and hugged his younger brother, pulling him in a protective embrace, hoping that would calm him. Another clap of thunder sent shivers through the both of them, but he couldn't imagine why.

The storm raged well into the early morning hours before it showed signs of weakening, but the two brothers were so wrapped up around each other that when the rain finally stopped, both were fast asleep.

A/N: you may stone me for the slowest update, but please get in a comment between rocks!


End file.
